User Comments

Do you still have the big badger set for kids to walk through? I'm brining my nephews next month and would like to get them excited about it. Thanks

Anonymous, 26/Jun/2017

I'm afraid the badger sett was removed in 2008. However, we have lots of other things to excite your nephews! Our WildPlay trail is a unique play trail for children, with 9 different play zones to explore through the trees. Our Gruffalo Spotter trail is a great way to explore the forest and the exciting augmented reality app brings the characters to life in the forest. Download the free Gruffalo Spotter app at home before you visit, our wi-fi at the Visitor Centre can be a bit slow! Along the trail you'll also find giant wooden sculptures of the Gruffalo's child and the Gruffalo. Depending on the age of your nephews we have other options which may also be of interest, if you'd like any help planning your visit please contact us in the Visitor Centre, whinlatter@forestry.gsi.gov.uk or call 017687 78469.

Forestry Commission Response

HI, I was on the North Loop yesterday and I have lost my sunglasses. I am pretty sure I took them off half way round the route and forgot to pick them up - I was wondering if they have been handed in?

Many thanks

Paul Hartley, 5/Jun/2017

We have a few in lost property, if you could call the visitor centre with a description of your glasses we will have a look for you.

Forestry Commission Response

4 Stars

how long as the fc owned this site? and what total area is it?

Anonymous, 10/May/2017

The Forestry Commission was formed in 1919, in response to a timber shortage following World War 1. Whinlatter was one of the first sites acquired by the newly formed FC, the first trees were planted in 1920. The forest covers 1500 hectares/approx. 5 square miles.

Forestry Commission Response

Can the gruffalo trail be managed by a sturdy pram ?

Lisa, 24/Mar/2017

The route covers a mixture of footpaths and forest tracks which all have stony/gravel surface. The trails is steep in places so please be prepared to need some muscle power! Lots of visitors have done the trail with off road prams without any difficulty.

Forestry Commission Response

Will be visiting in July and wondered if there is any bikes to hire? Would be most grateful if you could advise me on this. Thankyoi

Jean brown, 20/Mar/2017

Cyclewise are our onsite cycle shop and hire centre. They have a range of options for bikes to hire including e-bikes. It would be wise to book ahead during July so please contact them directly by visiting the website, www.cyclewise.co.uk or call them on 017678 78711

Forestry Commission Response

One visitor requested a god walking map for Whinlatter in mobile format and was offered the download on your website. However the Masmill car park hads been closed for some time. The map is out of date and this should have been pointed out to him. Better yet, please update the map.

Parking charges are too high, and dissuade many local people from visiting now ....which they used to in years gone by.

Tom Kennedy, 5/Mar/2017

Thanks for pointing out the issue with the map which we will rectify, and apologies for any confusion caused. Every penny of your car parking fee is reinvested back into the forest, including funding wildlife conservation, trails and facilities maintenance. Many local people find the Discovery Pass which includes free parking and other discounts is great value at £45 when visiting regularly. www.forestry.gov.uk/pass for details.

Forestry Commission Response

We spent last week in the Lakes and visited Winlatter twice. Unfortunately both were spoilt by the large amount of dog mess around the forest including pathways, playareas & carparks. This really does need addressing. Maybe signage and bins but it does need picking up.

Anonymous, 27/Feb/2017

5 Stars

Just want to say a big thank you to the staff who helped me out recently when I was taken unwell following a walk here.

The lady in the lovely Siskins Cafe was excellent - getting me rapid help from the forestry staff who were clearly very well trained first aiders . They got me down to the Keswick hospital very quickly and sorted out my concerns over my car. Great job guys! I'm sure I will be back !!

Ruth Mackenzie, 23/Feb/2017

Thank you and glad to hear you're recovered.

Forestry Commission Response

I should like a GOOD map of the forest so that I don't get lost.

Preferable to use on my phone but a paper one would be all right.

Where can I get one?

The ones you have are not any use unless I have missed the decent one.

Sandra Field, 7/Jan/2017

You can download a pdf version of the paper map available from the Visitor Centre from the link on the right hand side of the page. This does show all the footpaths, bridleways and forest roads in the forest but lacks some of the terrain detail of an Ordnance Survey map. We find it works well for those following the waymarked routes who like the reassurance of having a map or who may want the option of extending their walk. If you would like a more detailed map then an Ordnance Survey map would probably be the most appropriate. Either Landranger 89 for 1:50,000 or Explorer OL4 for 1:25,000 which should be available from any bookshop, outdoor shop or online. We don’t currently stock these on site as our shop is closed for refurbishment. The Visitor Centre staff are always very happy to help with route planning so please call in and speak to them if you’d like any advice. Just bear in mind they are open at weekends only until 1st February.

Forestry Commission Response

Do you have a lost property service? My son has lost his green hoodie, his leavers hoodie from school with 'Ed' on the back with all his classmates names printed as a 16 & school logo on front. it was last seen on a photo of him enjoying the playground at Whinlatter! Any help you can give me would be most appreciated.

Anonymous, 7/Sep/2016

Sorry, we have checked in our lost property and can't find anything of this description. We'll let you know if anything turns up.

Forestry Commission Response

It would REALLY help if your address was on your web-page...!

Anonymous, 6/Sep/2016

Our postcode and Grid reference are on the right hand side of the page but we've now also added the full address to the directions information and to the planning your visit page.

Forestry Commission Response

4 Stars

Come quite often to Whinlatter as I live in Keswick. This is the first time I have come by car since the new parking arrangements. We came out of the caf from the back and went to the car parked in the lowest overflow car park. On leaving I could not work out where payment was collected. ~Eventually we found the machine which was surrounded by some very puzzled people. The sign posting and system for car could be vastly improved. Parking is also very expensive.

Pamela Robinson, 10/Aug/2016

Thanks for the feedback on the signage, we will take this into account when reviewing and looking at how we can improve visitor experience. Every penny of revenue is reinvested into Whinlatter, to maintain and improve the facilities you enjoy as well as protecting wildlife and managing the forest sustainably. If you visit regularly you might like to consider a Discovery Pass which would give you unlimited parking all year as well as other benefits for £45, www.forestry.gov.uk/pass

Forestry Commission Response

Please can you let me know what the car park charges are please. Thanks

I make a point of visiting the forest with my family each time we visit the Lakes because it is such a good place to visit. I doubt that I will return due to the new 'pay on exit' parking payment scheme and the exceedingly high parking charges, 45 pence for every 20 mins after the first hour!!! We stayed for the minimum amount of time, just enough to allow my daughter a quick run through the forest and then left, instead of using the caf we went somewhere else.

Anonymous, 6/Jul/2016

We believe that the new system at Whinlatter offers more flexibility and better value, as you now pay for the time you’re here rather than needing to purchase a block of time on arrival. The charges are only very slightly different to the old pay and display charges, indeed a 2 hour stay is now slightly cheaper. We work hard to provide facilities for everyone to enjoy the forest and we do rely on the support of our visitors, through income from car parking, to maintain the facilities and trails for you to enjoy, as well as looking after wildlife and managing the forest to safeguard it for the future. The Forestry Commission is non-profit making and every penny of your car parking fee is reinvested back into this forest.

Forestry Commission Response

Went to see the Ospreys and luckily the weather was good and it possible to see the nest and also the adults feeding their youngster. Watching on the webcam daily you can see how the they are all progressing. Thank you for all the hard work it has taken to provide such pictures lovely to see them

Gwenn & Mike, 28/Jun/2016

5 Stars

What an excellent centre you run. I always love visiting and walking. I love walking to Lord's Seat and on to Barf from your centre. I have a Discovery Pass and that is great value.

Many thanks.

Tom, 24/Jun/2016

5 Stars

Had a wonderful day at Whinlatter. Unfortunately my son lost 'Mr. Snuggles' his comfort blanket which he loves. After getting home to Kent, I called Whinlatter and spoke to Kath who very kindly agreed to send him back to us. Mr Snuggles has arrived safe and well. Thank you so much!

Natalie Clark, 1/Jun/2016

Great to hear you enjoyed your day at Whinlatter and glad that you've been reunited with Mr Snuggles!

Forestry Commission Response

4 Stars

I love visiting Whinlatter, the place is an incredibly beautiful part of the Lake District. However, I do find that the map of the forest and the signage on the footpaths really quite poor. Unless the footpath is part of the coloured routes it is not shown on the map and even some of the larger footpaths/service roads are not shown on the map, an example would be the path from No.24 post to No.23. The height contours are also very difficult to make out on the map. But perhaps my biggest gripe would be the lack of "Finger Posts" or signage in the forest, mainly remote from the visitor centre area, showing the destination of the path you are taking, whether it be towards the next marker post or named location. These are minor niggles and otherwise I would give Whinnlatter Forest 5 stars. If you park at one of the outlying "free car parks" it is possibly the best value-for-money family day out in the Lake District - something that is strangely is failed to be mentioned in the publicity! I must also mention the cafe - which is excellent too! (But please get some more OL4 Ordnance Survey maps, (the local area), you have been out of stock of these for a while now!!! Notwithstanding my "niggles" Whinlatter is an amazing place!

Ian, 17/Apr/2016

Thanks very much for sending us your comments. Some of the forest tracks you mention are old timber extraction routes that are now overgrown and lead to dead ends, so were removed from our trail map. This map is designed for visitors that aren’t confident navigators and to provide some back up to the waymarked routes, with some of the ‘clutter’ of an OS map removed. The path between posts 24 and 23 leads to a deteriorating peat section which we would rather not encourage too many people to use so it was decided not to include this on the map. These are still rights of way so more experienced walkers with an OS map are still able to access these. We will speak to the shop about getting more OL4s in stock! We will investigate the suggestions you’ve made about signage to see if things could be made clearer. We generally try to limit the quantity of signage further from the Visitor Centre as it can spoil the natural feel of exploring the wider forest, although we do appreciate there is a balance to be struck to ensure easy route-finding. We hope that you continue to enjoy visiting the forest, and the café!

Forestry Commission Response

5 Stars

I like to visit several times a year. Whinlatter is by far the best trail centre in the country. I really appreciate the excellent maintenance of the trails, and am quite happy to pay the reasonable parking fee that is obviously necessary to pay for this. The 'Park with Ease' is such a good system - you need never worry about a ticket if you suffer a mechanical at the furthest point of the trail. I just wish all other trail centres would follow Whinlatter's example. Keep up the excellent work guys.

Anonymous, 6/Apr/2016

5 Stars

Visited today. (4 th apr) and had a great day out. We did the stick man trail which was perfect for my 7 and 5 year old. The parks em route are very good and my son loved the dam with water flowing through it! We finished off with a latte looking out into the forest. 6 for two activity packs and 4.15 for parking. Fantastic. We will be back.

Lynn, 4/Apr/2016

5 Stars

Fantastic three days of cycling and walking - well kept trails and although very busy (nice problem to have I suppose) it is very well arranged - even the parking arrangements work well. I forgot to pay on the way out one day, and it is so easy to pay on line later. Thank you all

Family Wilson, 2/Apr/2016

The changes to the parking arrangements were intended to give visitors more flexible and easier options for payment so it's great to hear your feedback. Hope you'll be able to visit and enjoy the trails again soon.

Forestry Commission Response

3 Stars

Come here two or three times a year, sad to see we now have to pay with our disabled son and blue badge for parking. Love the visit, stick man, gruffalo but at 8 for parking (he is very slow at getting round) don't think we'll be visiting again very soon. We have woods closer to home with play parks that are free parking. All the best to you though. The cost of parking is now prohibitive to us. We are just on one wage because I can't work due to our sons disability.

Anonymous, 26/Mar/2016

Every penny of revenue from car parking is reinvested into the forest, maintaining and developing the facilities people enjoy on their visit and helping wildlife to thrive. We are dedicated to protecting and improving our forest, as well as enhancing access, to make them special places for everyone to enjoy. None of this is possible without the support of our visitors. We’re sorry that you feel the cost is prohibitive but we believe our parking charges offer great value for a family to enjoy a whole day of activity. The decision to make charges applicable to blue badge holders is in line with other providers in the Lake District and enables us to safeguard the forest for the future.

Forestry Commission Response

2 Stars

Once again our visit to Whinlatter fails to impress. Whilst the surroundings and views are great, it's just one of those places that you come away from feeling short changed. The car park isn't the cheapest, then you have to buy a map of the walks on offer - only to find out 100m into the red/blue walk that the maps are useless as storm damage needed to change the routes - so why not tell people when you sell the maps !!. Also after buying the maps told really no routes are suitable for one of our elderly group members. Our group was 7 - and one dog - so we couldn't eat inside because of the dog, but had to go outside in the cold and wet, albeit under cover. Well we didn't and the money we would of spent on lunch went to a more welcoming eatery elsewhere. Personally not a great advertisement / welcome for a tourist area that is trying to get back on its feet following the recent floods and telling everybody how great things are ! Will we be back - doubt it.

Family Hill, 17/Feb/2016

Thanks for taking the time to feedback about your experience, I’m sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your visit. The recent stormy weather has indeed caused us challenges with trail damage but we have worked hard to offer alternative way marked routes to allow visitors to continue enjoying the forest until we have completed the necessary repair work. The Visitor Centre staff take great pride in ensuring every visitor makes the most of their visit, taking time to explain the current options and offer tailored advice to suit each individual. We also make it clear that there are some routes that can be followed without needing to purchase a map but that maps are available at a small charge for those wanting some reassurance or to explore further. I’m sorry to hear that this does not seem to have been the case when you visited. We will also raise your comments regarding allowing dogs in the café with the business owner. Communication from our visitors is essential in enabling us to resolve issues and improve our services and facilities. Please rest assured that we take the service provided by ourselves and by the businesses operating on our site very seriously and I will make sure the issues you’ve raised are addressed. Finally, thank you for paying for your car parking. Every trail you use, all the wildlife you see is here because of your support. Every penny of your car parking fee is reinvested back into Whinlatter.

Forestry Commission Response

Add a grt day mtbing on satd(13th feb) cafe grt, bike shop helped my son out after he snapped his chain would defo recommend just 1 griep ! Parking charges!!!!! 8 for all day think thats vry exspenive now as Ae mtb trail is only 3 allday!

Sid sadler, 15/Feb/2016

Great to hear you had such an enjoyable visit and had fun on the trails. Your car parking fee is a massive help in maintaining our challenging 24km of singletrack mountain bike trail. Every penny of your car parking fee is reinvested back into this forest and we rely on the support of our visitors to keep these awesome tracks open and hopefully develop more! The money received for car parking by ourselves and other land owners across the Lake District is also used to deliver long-term sustainable management of the National Park by caring for the landscape and facilities that make it such a wonderful place to explore and enjoy. Your car parking fee is also safeguarding this forest for future generations to enjoy.

Forestry Commission Response

5 Stars

Having lived in the area for almost fifteen years, I have seen the Forest Park develop enormously over this period of time. The range of activities is fantastic and to spend a whole day in the park is very much an option. The facilities are great, the shop is probably better value than comparable National Trust outlets and Siskins Caf serves ac great home prepared menu (cakes are

particularly good:-). All the staff are very helpful. I am a frequent user and find it difficult to understand those who quibble about the parking charges, particularly when you think about the value you get for your money. I have to say that I get pretty miffed with mountain bikers who'll spend 5,000+ on a bike and will choose to congest the road outside the park, rather than pay the parking fee. There's no charge for the use of the MTB trails, and they are maintained very well.

Magic Hill, 30/Jan/2016

Hi , could you please say why the cafe was closed on Sunday?

Terry, 17/Jan/2016

The café closes for a couple of weeks every January, to allow staff to take holiday and to carry out essential maintenance work at what is usually a very quiet time of year. The snow on Sunday resulted in an unusually high number of visitors.

Forestry Commission Response

4 Stars

Regular user of Whinlatter. Personally if I go for a walk I try to park at other parking areas because the charges are so high if I am doing Lords Seat and Barf. I also have a disabled son and am a regular visitor with him as while he cannot fully utilise the walks etc he loves to sit in the cafe or on the balcony watching the little birds and having a cuppa and a biscuit. He also likes the gifts, books etc in the shop and we invariably buy something there as well.

Unfortunately you have done away with the free disabled parking so our visits will become less frequent as the free twenty minutes is not a lot of good by the time we get from the car park to the cafe with a disabled kid.

While it may not seem a lot of money most disabled people have low incomes and even the 2 parking fee mounts up if you liked to visit a couple of times a week, especially when you add on the other costs, coffee snacks gift shop purchases etc. Why have you decided to make visits by disabled people less of an option for them. From my point of view it was a callous, purely business related decision that totally disregarded the needs of disabled people.

Still, I have now started going for my walks down the Borrowdale Valley and Keswick is very disabled friendly for my son with plenty of places he likes to go and sit so all is not that bad.

Mark, 13/Jan/2016

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to explain the recent changes to disabled parking. We work hard to try and provide facilities for everyone to enjoy the forest and we do rely on the support of our visitors to manage and maintain the facilities that we provide. The recent change to ask disabled visitors to also pay for parking is in line with other organisations across the Lakes. The revenue we receive from car parking goes directly towards maintaining and improving the high standard and wide range of facilities available to visitors as well as supporting sustainable management of the forest and conservation of wildlife habitats. As you say you often visit a couple of times a week, buying a Discovery pass for £45 would be a great option for you. This gives you year-round parking and other benefits including discount in the shop, whilst supporting the forest. Visit www.forestry.gov.uk/pass for details.

Forestry Commission Response

1 Star

Shall not be coming back again as car parking is a daylight robbery. 45 p for 20 mins

Have you considered the people who want to spend a couple of hours watching the wildlife and having a cupper...These people will only be stung once

David , 7/Jan/2016

The Forestry Commission is non-profit making and your money for parking will go directly towards maintaining and improving the facilities you use on your visit. The money we receive from car parking also contributes to the sustainable management of the forest including our recreation facilities and conservation of the rare and special wildlife that the forest provides habitat for. The pay on exit system provides great flexibility and we feel great value for money with the small incremental timings, rather than needing to buy a block of time at a pay and display machine on arrival. If you feel you don’t want to support the forest through paying for car parking, we do provide a number of free car parks a little further away from the main facilities. I hope you will return for more enjoyable visits in the future.

Forestry Commission Response

England's Woods and Forests are cared for by Forest Enterprise England, an agency of the Forestry Commission.